Melissa Mendelson
banner
flightriskmushing.bsky.social
Melissa Mendelson
@flightriskmushing.bsky.social
Small racing kennel of Melissa (Jewish, she/her) and alaskan huskies under the name Flight Risk Mushing! Art account: @zulayawolf.bsky.social #uglydogs

flightriskmushing.com
Pinned
My kennel website got a huge face-lift!! Everything is up to date now, and dog sponsorships are open for the 2025-26 season. Each dog can only have one sponsor, so you really will get to follow "your" dog through the season!

flightriskmushing.com
Send prayers (and snowblowers)
It has yet to stop snowing. I think we’re going to be over 4 feet.
January 3, 2026 at 7:13 PM
Reposted by Melissa Mendelson
We put in nearly 70 miles over 2 days with @flightriskmushing.bsky.social. We had a blast, and the dogs just looked better and better each run! They truly are special animals.
January 3, 2026 at 7:07 PM
Huge running series for new years with @chasingthewolves.bsky.social ! We did a sled run New Years Day - after dumping the sled and losing the team last sled run, I was extremely anxious and only wanted to take 4 out of my yard over the tricky spot.
January 3, 2026 at 6:45 PM
Reposted by Melissa Mendelson
So, we weren’t going to have a calendar this year. But I got to thinking about Pepé and I was like “How can I honor TWELVE YEARS of this majestic dog???” and then I decided she deserves HER VERY OWN 12 month calendar. I hope it’s not too late. #uglydogs

www.createphotocalendars.com/Store/A+Doze...
A Dozen Years of Pepé
Custom Photo Calendars for Sale A Dozen Years of Pepé
www.createphotocalendars.com
January 2, 2026 at 10:10 PM
Reposted by Melissa Mendelson
Doe’s sus list for 2025 (in no particular order). #uglydogs
-Vacuum
-Broom
-Me rolling over in bed
-Fireworks
-Thunder
-Rain
-My low blood sugar alarm
-My office
-Weather radio going off
-Dying battery chirp in the smoke alarm
-My box fan on high
-Me using speaker phone
January 1, 2026 at 3:12 AM
Reposted by Melissa Mendelson
Tupac’s sus/fun police list for 2025 (in no particular order) #uglydogs
-ppl on HIS public trail
-neighbor kids playing basketball
-neighbor kids playing outside near the sidewalk
-FedEx delivery driver
-dying battery chirp in smoke alarm
-anyone coughing, sneezing, or clearing their throat
January 1, 2026 at 4:27 AM
Reposted by Melissa Mendelson
Panther’s sus list for 2025 (in no particular order) #uglydogs
-whatever Tupac is screaming at
-dying battery chirp in the smoke alarm
-vacuum
-carpet cleaner
-broom
-boiling eggs
-electric kettle
-bank tube system
-children
-me wearing a face mask
January 1, 2026 at 4:33 AM
Reposted by Melissa Mendelson
With January rapidly approaching and drop bags for the ITI being prepared, it's a good time to drop this GFM for our buddy Laura in your timeline again. The ITI is totally nuts, but also amazing and I can't wait to stress my way through Laura's race again.

www.gofundme.com/f/support-la...
Donate to Support Laura's Return to the Iditarod Trail Invitational, organized by Laura Rushfeldt
Hi y’all—we’re skiing to McGrath. Again. For the first time. … Laura Rushfeldt needs your support for Support Laura's Return to the Iditarod Trail Invitational
www.gofundme.com
December 31, 2025 at 6:58 PM
Reposted by Melissa Mendelson
She Leaps! She Dives! She Sco- wait.. no actually she’s just cooling off.

#uglydogs #dovakhiin
December 31, 2025 at 3:53 AM
Reposted by Melissa Mendelson
What do sled dogs do all day?

Cuddle up and sleep. And sometimes eat. But mostly sleep.
December 30, 2025 at 6:38 PM
Reposted by Melissa Mendelson
Pg donated some blood for research.

…but definitely didn’t agree to going to the vet as part of this.
December 31, 2025 at 12:09 AM
Today, the dogs decided they didn't want to wait for me to finish hooking up everyone and started dragging the snowmobile, popping the snowhook, until 4 sections were bunched up at the gate. Thankfully it was easy to just unhook everyone, let them loose in my fenced in yard, back up, and reset.
December 31, 2025 at 3:06 AM
Help Megan get to races with me!! ❤
December 29, 2025 at 11:37 PM
Reposted by Melissa Mendelson
I wanted to give a huge thank you to everyone. I got a small loan to help pay for things, I have the U-Haul rented, flights booked for the kind soul who is helping drive the uhaul, etc. I under budgeted so I may do dog sponsorships this year if there was any interest?
December 29, 2025 at 3:15 PM
Reposted by Melissa Mendelson
Tupac is now offering laundry services, mostly supervision. #uglydogs
December 28, 2025 at 5:41 PM
Rough one today. About 50 feet out my kennel gate, is a right turn with a big stump-hill on the inside. (We made this trail 2 summers ago, this is the first snow season I actually get to use it because we didn't get any last season.) That went fine with the 4 dog run.
December 26, 2025 at 3:58 AM
Today's joy!! I took all the dogs who didn't run yesterday out; I was a bit nervous about taking a sketchy corner on the snowmobile that was fine on dogsled. But all went well, dogs had fun, made some snowmobilers' days! We have some work to do after a week off but they should bounce back quick
December 24, 2025 at 12:38 AM
GUESS WHAT WE DID!!!!!!
December 22, 2025 at 9:08 PM
Last night ❤ happy hannukah!!
December 21, 2025 at 11:33 PM
Reposted by Melissa Mendelson
It’s like he’s a fisherman taking a photo with his prize catch😆
December 21, 2025 at 7:28 PM
Between extreme cold, a warm up that turned our snow to ice, needing to road trip to go pick up a meat order for the winter, and trying to get everything ready to transition to sleds now that the snowmobile trail is open, we haven't run for a week.
December 21, 2025 at 4:31 PM
Reposted by Melissa Mendelson
Good morning friends. I have things happening behind the scenes but if all goes to plan I'll be moving New Years week thanks to my good friends who have helped me see reason. I know Melissa had made a post but I just wanted to say how much I appreciate the community and those who offered to help.
December 21, 2025 at 2:29 PM
Legend and Watkins have competition
December 21, 2025 at 3:00 AM
Reposted by Melissa Mendelson
#UglyDogs

I *think* this is the reporter who sat and had a meal with some of us in Anchorage. This article made me cry a few different times.

@quincemountain.bsky.social , thank you.

www.milwaukeemag.com/quince-mount...
A Wisconsinite Braves the World’s Longest Dog Sled Race
Quince Mountain had no idea how much the Iditarod, the world’s longest dog sled race, would test his endurance.
www.milwaukeemag.com
December 18, 2025 at 9:37 PM
Oops, forgot to tag #uglydogs . Update on the PCD research and GFM!
Today, Watkins and his littermates Q, Zirkle, and Foucher all went to the vet to get blood draw DNA samples. Everyone was very good for the staff! The vet mailed these off immediately so they are on their way to the University of Minnesota to start the genome sequencing!

*TW needles in the video*
December 17, 2025 at 4:16 AM